'Community' recap: Of Trolls and Toilet Olives

'Community' recap: Of Trolls and Toilet Olives

That’s because Community’s “Remedial Chaos Theory” was about the smartest, most entertaining use of an alternate timeline concept since we first glimpsed Evil Spock’s goatee in Star Trek’s “Mirror Mirror” episode, the ur-text for all subsequent parallel universe storytelling. But “Remedial Chaos Theory” wasn’t sci-fi. Actually, it called to mindGroundhog Day in the prismatic way it employed its high-concept gimmick to shed new light on its characters.

I have a feeling season 3 of Community is going to be about growing up. Jeff already had his post-Model UN heart-to-heart with Annie about how he’s going to stop patting her head andstart treating her like a woman—which he certainly did tonight, at least in one of the timelines. And now, Troy and Abed have declared their independence (Troy from Pierce, Abed from his Dad) while also declaring theirco-dependence. At last we saw their new apartment (#303, like the episode’s production number), outfitted with their Linens & Things registry wishlist, mahogany bunkbeds, aKickpuncher poster, and a scale-model recreation of the “Rolling Boulder Scene” fromRaiders of the Lost Ark, complete with actual rolling boulder. And if all that didn’t spell “adult,” surely their respective ascots and synchronized TV-jingle catchphrase “Troy and Abed’s New Apaaaartment!” did. Even better, Troy welcomed Pierce with “Bienvenido de la Casa Chez Trobed.” ‘Bout time they got their own nickname, even if it sounds like some unholy combination of St. Tropez and Club Med. Read More...